The Glory of God in Heaven.Намуна

Yes!

By Rev. Joel Gaertner

There is a mistaken notion among many Christians that if you follow Christ, you will be safe from trouble and difficulty. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus himself actually told us we will indeed suffer if we confess his name and stand up for his truth: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

This is contrary to what our human nature thinks. Think about the phrase “fight or flight.” The phrase reminds us of our natural inclination to fight back against or run away from trouble. Have you ever seen someone jump up and down in joy for the problems or difficulties he or she was facing? That seems absurd.

When Peter says that we are to “rejoice” given that we “participate in the sufferings of Christ,” it does not necessarily mean we are to be exuberant. Rather, we should be thankful. Peter encourages us to be thankful when we suffer for being a Christian because that means we are joining Christ in his suffering.

The reason for being “thankful” or “rejoicing” when we suffer for Christ is because we know that this means we will also share in Christ’s glory—the glory of heaven.

God led the Apostle Paul to clearly describe this when he wrote: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Although our troubles and persecution for being Christians might not seem light or temporary at the time, they are when you compare them with the eternal joy we will get to enjoy one day in the presence of God in heaven.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, so often when my Christian faith is challenged, I am tempted to flee to avoid the trouble or difficulty that might come my way. Forgive me for my failure to stand up for my faith and for not being confident to confess Jesus as my Savior. Strengthen me to see that such troubles have a very great reward one day in the glory of heaven. Keep me looking forward to that eternal blessing as I trust in you. Amen.